Device for the fluid treatment of running lengths of textile material



p 16, 1963 E. WENDLER 3,085,

A DEVICE FOR THE FLUID TREATMENT OF RUNNING LENGTHS OF TEXTILE MATERIAL Filed Aug. 39, 1960 2 Sheets-Sheet. 1

INVENTOR. fbsrhnra M id mmmkw April 16, 1963 E. WENDLER 3,085,414

DEVICE FOR THE FLUID TREATMENT OF RUNNING LENGTHS OF TEXTILE MATERIAL INV NTOR. E hm w, w

M MMMfl United States Patent 3,085,414 DEVICE FOR THE FLUID TREATMENT 0F RUN- NING LENGTHS 0F TEXTILE MATERIAL Eberhard Wendler, 49 Panoramastrasse, Reutlingen, Germany Filed Aug. 29, 1960, Ser. No. 52,564 Claims priority, application Germany Sept. 1, 1959 '7 Claims. (Cl. 68-5) The invention isconcerned with textile treatment and contemplates improvements in textile finishing in which a long piece of textile material is passed continuously through a reaction chamber or the like. In particular, the invention is concerned with a device for continuously treating ribbons of textile material, pieces of cloth, fabrics etc. having a space or chamber or cabinet within which the fabric or textile material or cloth to be treated rests or is retained during a predetermined reaction time in which it is subjected to the influence of heat or of reagents, in which within said chamber several conveyor belts are arranged one above the other in horizontal or slightly oblique planes so as to deliver successively the said fabric or cloth to be treated to one another, said conveyor belts serving to guide the said fabric or cloth on its way through said chamber, there being provided on said conveyor belts continuous guide surfaces for supporting said fabric or cloth when guiding it through said chamber, drive means being provided for driving said conveyor belts each in a direction opposite to that of the preceding conveyor belt, whereby the direction of said fabric or cloth to be treated is reversed when it passes from one conveyor belt onto the following one.

With the known devices of this kind the fabric or cloth is not positively guided and the reagents cannot influence the fabric or cloth to the optimum. Further, the known devices occupy together with the machines for preparatory and finishing treatment relatively much workshop or factory space with respect to their relatively small capacity. Alternatively, with the known devices of the kind in question the fabric or cloth to be treated is subjected within the chamber to a heavy pressure or to a great tension so that the fabric or cloth is creased or crumpled or rubbed off at some places.

It is an object of the invention to provide a device of the above mentioned general character in which the reagents serving to treat the fabric or cloth can act upon the fibres on all sides and can influence the textile material uniformly and continuously.

Another object of this invention is to provide a device of the general character described in which the fabric or cloth to be treated is not subjected to mechanical loads counteracting the action of the chemical reagents.

A still other object of this invention is to provide a device of the above character which has an exceptionally great capacity in relation to the workshop or factory space occupied so that a high output speed for the fabric to be treated and, therefore, a great production rate and, at the same time, a sufficiently long reaction time is obtained.

A further object of the invention is to provide a device of the above mentioned character which in combination with the machines for preparatory treatment and after-treatment or finishing treatment constitutes an aggregate of compact and condensed construction which utilizes all dead or blind spaces of the known devices and which can be surveyed, operated and controlled practically by a single operative posted in a central observation station.

A still further object of the invention is to provide a a device which according to the invention has a substantially vertical guide chute arranged at the feed end of the said chamber therewithin and before the first one of said "ice conveyor belts as seen in the direction of movement of said fabric or cloth to be treated, said guide chute serving for depositing the fabric or cloth to be treated onto said first one of said conveyor belts in successive vertical and upright accordion folds arranged in zigzag-like or undulating shape, the side walls of said chute being displaceable towards and away from one another so as to vary the cross section of the said guide chute, a guide device being arranged between each pair of said successive conveyor belts for so guiding the said fabric or cloth to be treated when passing from one of said conveyor belts onto the following one that the fabric or cloth to be treated preserves its upright vertically folded arrangement by being turned at the same time upsidedown so that the parts of the folds which upon the one of two successive conveyor belts serving as delivering belt are situated remote from the supporting surface of the belt on the upper side are deposited after deflection upon the following receiving belt so as to lie near the supporting surface on the under side and vice versa.

These and other objects, features, and advantages of the present invention will become further apparent from the following detailed description thereof, particularly when the same is read with reference to the accompanying drawings, in which FIGS. 1 and 2 show schematical side views of embodiments of the invention.

The apparatus represented in FIG. 1 serves for continuously treating the ribbon of textile material or fabric or pieces of cloth or all other stripe material represented at 1 which during a predetermined time is subjected in the chamber or cabinet 2 to the influence of reacting agents or heat and which is introduced from above via the folder mechanism 3 and the inlet chute 4 into the chamber 2 approximately in the middle thereof in the shape of zigzag-like or undulating accordion folds and which is guided within the chamber 2 from inlet to outlet by means of the endless conveyor belts 5, 6 and 7 which run uniformly and with the same speed and are arranged, for example, approximatively parallel to one another The inlet conveyor belt 5 takes up the fabric coming from the inlet chute 4 approximatively in the middle of the chamber after said fabric has been deflected at 9 through a right angle and feeds it to the end 8 of the chamber (arrow 25). The medial conveyor belt 6 situated below the inlet conveyor belt 5 leads the fabric delivered by the said inlet conveyor belt after its deflection at 10 through an angle of 180 deg. in opposite direction (arrow 11) to the opposite end 12 of the chamber and delivers it there after a further deflection of 180 deg. at 13 to the outlet conveyor belt 7 which is arranged on a higher level than the medial conveyor belt 6 and preferably on the same level with the inlet conveyor belt 5 and which leads the fabric to be treated back towards the middle of the chamber (arrow 26). There, the fabric to be treated is deflected again at 14 through an angle of approximately deg, and then led parallel to the inlet direction and in the opposite sense within the discharge channel 15 towards the outlet.

During its passing from one conveyor belt onto the following one and its being deposited onto the inlet conveyor belt 5 and its leaving the outlet conveyor belt '7i.e. at the places designated 9, 19, 13 and 14the fabric is laterally guided and driven respectively by means of two rotating discs 16, 16', 16" and 16 which are arranged opposite to one another and rotate synchronously and in the same sense with the respective conveyor belts. On the side turned away from the respective conveyor belt, said fabric is guided and driven by means of deflection guide belts 17, 17, 17" and 17", said deflection guide belts moving in the same direction with the conveyor belts, whereby they lead the fabric to the respective receiving conveyor belt. It can, therefore, be said that in the direction of conveyance behind the inlet 4 and before the outlet 15 there are provided at 9 and 14 channels which have the form of a quarter circle and which serve for guiding the fabric in the region of the first and of the last deflection point, said channels being formed by the two discs 16 and 16 opposite to one another, by the deflection guide belts 17 and 17 running along the margin of the discs and by the central rolls carrying the discs and indicated at 9 and 14, and carrying and positively guiding and protecting the fabric on all sides. The fabric is not subjected to any undue pressure and the individual folds can not unfold and crumble. The fabric is deflected in such a way that it is turned up side down in that its upper parts become lower parts after the deflection and vice versa, whereby it is always ensured that the folds of the fabric lie loosely on the belts serving for their conveyance.

The inlet conveyor belt and the outlet conveyor belt 7 constitute, respectively, together with the alotted guide belts 17 and 17" a unit which has the shape of an L, the short leg of which constituted by the belts 17 and 17" lies on the inner side, whereas the long leg is constituted by the conveyor belts 17' and 17". The medial conveyor belt 6-a long horizontal connecting web or bridge-constitutes together with the two guide belts 17 and 17"-two short lateral legs-which bring about the reversal of the direction of movement of the fabric to be treated a unit which has the shape of a flat U.

At the deflection points, in which there is effected a reversal of the direction of movement of the fabric, i.e. at the points and 13, there are arranged the lateral guide discs 16' and 16 for the fabric to be treated on the rolls 10 and 13 which at the same time serve to guide the allotted conveyor beltand which are collared by the conveyor belts 5 and 7. For the L-shaped units there are provided, in addition, guide rolls 18, 18'. and 19, 19 which are collared by the conveyor belt. In the U-shaped unit the conveyor belt is drawn around the rollers 20, 20', 20" and 21, 21', 21".

The chamber 2, in which the fabric to be treated is.

subjected to the influence of reacting agents or of heat, has an elongated flat shape. In the middle of the chamber the chute 4 and the discharge channel which are parallel to one another branch off in upward direction. The chute 4 serves for guiding the fabric when it enters the chamber, and the channel 15 serves to guide the fabric when it leaves the chamber. Above the chamber there is arranged between the one end 8 of the chamber and the inlet chute 4 the machine 22 for preparatory treatment, whereas the machine 23 for after-treatment or finishing treatment is situated between the discharge channel 15 and the otherend 12 of the chamber. Machines of this kind, for preparatory treatment, are, for example, a washing machine or an impregnating machine. As a machine for after-treatment or finishing treatment there can be employed, for example, a washing out machine. By this arrangement there is obtained an especially compact and condensed construction. Between the inlet chute 4 and the outlet channel 15 there is provided for approximatively half the height of the entire aggregatethe observation-post 24 for the operative. In this manner the operative has an exceptionally good view over the entire. machine. In addition, he is thereby enabled to operate and control comfortably all parts of the aggregate from this central post or station.

In FIG. 2 there is shown a further embodiment of the invention in which a plurality of endless horizontal conveyor belts 27, 28, 29, 3d, 31, 32 running with adjustable speed are arranged one above the other in the chamber 35. These belts lead the fabric 34 to be treated so as to follow a serpentine path through the chamber from the inlet 35 to the outlet 36. The fabric is deposited by means of the guide chute 37 in the shape of undulated .or zigzag-like arranged successive upright folds onto that conveyor belt which moves past the outlet of the guide chute 37 which, on its hand, is arranged vertically and across to the direction of movement of the fabric. The space between the side walls of said chute 37 positively determines the height of the individual folds of the fabric. By adjusting correspondingly the belt speed, the different folds of the fabric can be arranged ontotheir respective belt in a more or less loose or compact sequence.

When passing from one belt onto the next one which moves in opposite direction, the fabric may be guided either by guide sheets or plates 38 or by disks 39 arranged on each of its sides and moving synchronously and in the same direction with the belts. Said disks 39 c0- operate for guiding the fabric on their side turned away from the'respective conveyor belt with an endless guide belt 40 moving in the same direction and synchronously with the conveyor belts. On each deflection point there are arranged on both sides of the fabric to be treated disks 39 which constitute together with the rolls 41 around which the conveyor belts are drawn a kind of drum the side disks of which have margins which project in a radial direction and between which the fabric to be treated is positively guided during its deflection. The arrangement is such that duringand after deflection and when passing from one of said conveyor belts onto the following one the fabric or cloth to be treated preserves its vertical upright folds by being turned at the same time upwards down so that the parts of the folds which upon the one of two successive conveyor belts serving as delivering b'elt are situated remote from the supporting surface of the belt on the upper side are deposited after deflection upon the following receiving belt so as to lie near the supporting surface on the under side and vice versa.

The delivery end of the last conveyor belt 32 is slightly curved upwards along a curve with a relatively great radius and is guided by means of guide rails 42 on which the rolls 43, 44- are freely rotatably mounted which prescribe from above and from beneath to the conveyor belt and, therefore, to the fabric the way towards the outlet 36. 45 is a heat roller for the fabric to be treated which serves at the same time to heat the chamber. 46 is the folder mechanism.

In the device according to the invention, the cloth can be deposited onto the conveyor belts in vertical and upright folds arranged one after the other and having a height of .10 to 60 cm. With the known devices-in which the cloth is deposited only in small folds-stills is not the case. The cloth is passed from one conveyor belt onto the following one in such a manner that the folds maintain their position relative to one another. Besides, the arrangement is such that the fabric or cloth can pass through the chamber either from top to bottom or from bottom to top. I

Although my invention has been illustrated and described with reference to the preferred embodiments thereof, I wish to have it understood that it is in no way limited to the details of such embodiments, but is capable of numerous modifications within the scope of the appended claims.

Having thus fully disclosed my invention, what I claim is:

1. In adevice for continuously treating. ribbons of textile material, pieces of cloth, fabrics etc. the combination which comprises a cabinet in which the material to be treated is retained during a predetermined reaction time in which it is to be treated, a plurality of conveyor belts within said chamber positioned one. above the other in substantially horizontal planes so as to deliver successive ly the material to be treated to .one another and serving to guide the said material on its way through said cabinet, said conveyor belts having continuous guide surfaces for supporting said material while guiding it through said cabinet, drive means for driving said conveyor belts each in a direction opposite to that of the preceding conveyor belt, whereby the direction of movement of said material is reversed when it passes from one conveyor belt onto the following one, a substantially vertical guide chute means at the feed end of said cabinet ahead of the first of said conveyor belts, for depositing the material onto said first of said conveyor belts, means associated with said guide chute for forming material fed therethrough in successive vertical and upright accordion folds arranged in zigzag shape, a guide device arranged between each pair of said successive conveyor belts for guiding the said material when passing from one of said conveyor belts onto the following one while preserving the vertically folded arrangement of the material and at the same time turning it upside down so that the parts of the folds supported upon any one of two successive conveyor belts are situated remote from the supporting surface of the belt on the upper side and are deposited after deflection upon the following belt so as to lie near the supporting surface on the under side, the upper of any two superposed belts having substantially parallel upper and lower runs and the lower run being spaced from the upper run of the next lower belt by a distance substantially equal to the transverse dimension of the folds, the guide device comprising, on the side of the material turned away from the delivering conveyor belt, deflection guide belt sections engageable with the material, said deflection guide belt sections moving in the same direction as the successive conveyor belts which deliver the material from one to the other.

2. The device set forth in claim 1, comprising three endless conveyor belts substantially parallel to one another and running uniformly and evenly with the same speed, the inlet conveyor belt of said three conveyor belts having a part located below said guide chute means to receive the material therefrom substantially in the middle of the said cabinet after being deflected through an angle of approximatively 90, the said inlet conveyor belt leading the said material to one lateral end of said cabinet, the medial conveyor belt of said three conveyor belts being arranged within said cabinet below said inlet conveyor belt and leading the material delivered by the said inlet conveyor belt after a deflection of about 180 in the opposite direction to the opposite end of said cabinet, said medial conveyor belt delivering the said material at the said opposite end of the said cabinet after a further deflection of about 180 to the outlet conveyor belt located in the discharge end of the said cabinet, the said outlet conveyor belt being arranged above the said medial conveyor belt and approximatively at the same level as the said inlet conveyor belt, the said outlet conveyor belt leading the fabric or cloth to be treated back to the middle of the said cabinet, a pick-up mechanism on the discharge side of said outlet conveyor belt for leading the said fabric or cloth to be treated delivered therefrom after a further deflection of about to the discharge opening in a path parallel to the inlet direction and opposite thereto.

3. The device set forth in claim 1, wherein the guide device also includes disk-like guide means moving synchronously and in the same direction with the respective conveyor belts and engaging the side edges of the material to drive it.

4. The device set forth in claim 3, wherein the said disk-like guide means project radially beyond the conveyor belts.

5. The device set forth in claim 4, wherein the disk-like guide means are arranged in pairs opposite to one another, said conveyor driving means including rolls on which the conveyors are mounted, said disks being connected to the said rolls so as to constitute together with them a drum.

6. The device set forth in claim 1, wherein said guide belt sections are parts of said conveyor belts.

7. The device set forth in claim 1, wherein said guide belt sections are parts of endless belts separate from said conveyor belts.

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

1. IN A DEVICE FOR CONTINUOUSLY TREATING RIBBONS OF TEXTILE MATERIAL, PIECES OF CLOTH, FABRICS ETC. THE COMBINATION WHICH COMPRISES A CABINET IN WHICH THE MATERIAL TO BE TREATED IS RETAINED DURING A PREDETERMINED REACTION TIME IN WHICH IT IS TO BE TREATED, A PLURALITY OF CONVEYOR BELTS WITHIN SAID CHAMBER POSITIONED ONE ABOVE THE OTHER IN SUBSTANTIALLY HORIZONTAL PLANES SO AS TO DELIVER SUCCESSIVELY THE MATERIAL TO BE TREATED TO ONE ANOTHER AND SERVING TO GUIDE THE SAID MATERIAL ON ITS WAY THROUGH SAID CABINET, SAID CONVEYOR BELTS HAVING CONTINUOUS GUIDE SURFACES FOR SUPPORTING SAID MATERIAL WHILE GUIDING IT THROUGH SAID CABINET, DRIVE MEANS FOR DRIVING SAID CONVEYOR BELTS EACH IN A DIRECTION OPPOSITE TO THAT OF THE PRECEDING CONVEYOR BELT, WHEREBY THE DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT OF SAID MATERIAL IS REVERSED WHEN IT PASSES FROM ONE CONVEYOR BELT ONTO THE FOLLOWING ONE, A SUBSTANTIALLY VERTICAL GUIDE CHUTE MEANS AT THE FEED END OF SAID CABINET AHEAD OF THE FIRST OF SAID CONVEYOR BELTS, FOR DEPOSITING THE MATERIAL ONTO SAID FIRST OF SAID CONVEYOR BELTS, MEANS ASSOCIATED WITH SAID GUIDE CHUTE FOR FORMING MATERIAL FED THERETHROUGH IN SUCCESSIVE VERTICAL AND UPRIGHT ACCORDION FOLDS ARRANGED IN ZIGZAG SHAPE, A GUIDE DEVICE ARRANGED BETWEEN EACH PAIR OF SAID SUCCESSIVE CONVEYOR BELTS FOR GUIDING THE SAID MATERIAL WHEN PASSING FROM ONE OF SAID CONVEYOR BELTS ONTO THE FOLLOWING ONE WHILE PRESERVING THE VERTICALLY FOLDED ARRANGEMENT OF THE MATERIAL AND AT THE SAME TIME TURNING IT UPSIDE DOWN SO THAT THE PARTS OF THE FOLDS SUPPORTED UPON ANY ONE OF TWO SUCCESSIVE CONVEYOR BELTS ARE SITUATED REMOTE FROM THE SUPPORTING SURFACE OF THE BELT ON THE UPPER SIDE AND ARE DEPOSITED AFTER DEFLECTION UPON THE FOLLOWING BELT SO AS TO LIE NEAR THE SUPPORTING SURFACE ON THE UNDER SIDE, THE UPPER OF ANY TWO SUPERPOSED BELTS HAVING SUBSTANTIALLY PARALLEL UPPER AND LOWER RUNS AND THE LOWER RUN BEING SPACED FROM THE UPPER RUN OF THE NEXT LOWER BELT BY A DISTANCE SUBSTANTIALLY EQUAL TO THE TRANSVERSE DIMENSION OF THE FOLDS, THE GUIDE DEVICE COMPRISING, ON THE SIDE OF THE MATERIAL TURNED AWAY FROM THE DELIVERING CONVEYOR BELT, DEFLECTION GUIDE BELT SECTIONS ENGAGEABLE WITH THE MATERIAL, SAID DEFLECTION GUIDE BELT SECTIONS MOVING IN THE SAME DIRECTION AS THE SUCCESSIVE CONVEYOR BELTS WHICH DELIVER THE MATERIAL FROM ONE TO THE OTHER. 